All Cleansers Are Not Created Equal: Scoring a Win with Defense Soap
Whether you've been watching the Olympics as a spectator or have found inspiration to elevate your workout, at the end of the day (or first thing in the morning), we're all going to hop in the shower. But all soaps are not created equal, and what you use to clean your body might be doing more harm than good. And if you're like 84.5 million other Americans, you've likely dealt with a skin condition, too.
Defense Soap founder Guy Sako considered these perspectives when creating his line of high-quality soaps, gels, and body products. Sako worked for more than 25 years as a Cleveland police officer, but his passion from childhood has always been wrestling, which he pursued through college and then started coaching. Through that experience, Sako witnessed that due to body contact, many wrestlers developed ringworm and other skin irritations and abrasions. He knew he could create a line of natural performance skincare products that came out on top.
Natural Defense, Gentle Enough for Every Day
Sako's first product and best-selling soap is deceptively simple, relying on Mother Nature and a thoughtful formulation. The triple-milled soap creates a denser product, which means it lasts longer and lathers up for a luxurious body feel that rinses away dirt and grime. You won't find parabens, sulfates, or fragrances, but you will discover two essential oils long known for their therapeutic properties:
In addition to its original formulation, Defense Soap also produces the bar soap in Peppermint and our favorite, Oatmeal, which creates a luxurious lather, deep exfoliation and clean rinse thanks to saponins and hydrating fatty acids and polysaccharides. For those who prefer liquid body soap, both the Original and Peppermint are available as a shower gel.
Tough Conditions Require Top-of-the-Line Ingredients
For those getting hands-on at the gym or during a workout routine, Defense Soap's Antifungal Medicated Bar Soap is FDA-cleared and includes tolnaftate (1%), clinically proven to treat most fungal infections, including athlete's foot, ringworm, and jock itch.
Made in the U.S., the soap also provides effective relief from itching, burning, and cracking skin, and comes with a snap-tight case to keep the medicated soap separate from other toiletries. A complementary product, the triple-milled Acne Care Medicated Bar Soap, uses natural ingredients in combination with salicylic acid (2%), which helps exfoliate skin by breaking the bond of dead skin cells that clog pores.
Defense on the Go
Though initially developed for combat athletes, Sako and his team of product developers recognize that we're all on the defense these days. Heightened awareness around sanitizing and sterilizing has many of us lugging around hand gels, sprays, and other protective products. Unfortunately, many of these products contain bleach and other potentially harmful chemicals when used over time.
Defense Soap's Antimicrobial Skin Cleanser harnesses the power of HOCl (hypochlorous acid) in a safe, non-irritating, non-greasy, and alcohol-free formula. Our bodies' white blood cells already produce HOCl to fight infection, promote healing and reduce inflammation. Although scientists have been aware of its properties for more than a century, the pandemic has caused a resurgence of interest and studies, including a recent study indicating HOCl's "high predictability for disinfecting against the COVID-19."
The Antimicrobial Skin Cleanser is just one item in Defense Soap's arsenal of on-the-go skincare products. Body Wipes contain the same essential oils used for the bar soaps and shower gels but are conveniently formulated into heavy-duty wipes for a quick clean post-workout, while traveling, or during a day of errands.
Sako suggests that it is critical to clean the skin within four hours of body or equipment contact to inhibit contagions. With modified shower access at many gyms and the shift to outside group workouts, having an action plan can mean the difference between healthy skin or an irritating infection that could become dangerous if not treated.
Defense Soap has also assembled many of their most popular products into travel kits with different configurations to include some of their best-selling products for those ready to hit the road.
As homage to his original love of the sport and the blue-collar spirit of his hometown, Sako has committed never to raise the price of his Original Bar Soap above $6 — the cost for him to join his very first wrestling team.